 | |||
| Full name | Hartlepool United Football Club | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Nicknames | Pools,Monkey Hangers | ||
| Founded | 1908; 117 years ago (1908) | ||
| Ground | Victoria Park | ||
| Capacity | 7,858 | ||
| Owner | Raj Singh | ||
| Chairman | Raj Singh | ||
| Head coach | Nicky Featherstone (interim) | ||
| League | National League | ||
| 2024–25 | National League, 11th of 24 | ||
| Website | hartlepoolunited.co.uk | ||
 Current season | |||
Hartlepool United Football Club is a professionalassociation football club based inHartlepool,County Durham, England. The team competes in theNational League, the fifth level of theEnglish football league system.
They were founded in 1908 as theHartlepools United Football & Athletic Club Company Ltd.West Hartlepool won theFA Amateur Cup in 1905 and after the club was dissolved in 1910 its assets and liabilities were subsequently taken over by Hartlepools United, who were then playing in theNorth Eastern League. Hartlepools United were elected into theFootball League in 1921 and spent the next 37 years in theThird Division North, at which point they were placed into the newFourth Division. In 1968, they were renamedHartlepool due to the merger ofWest Hartlepool with the town ofHartlepool and the village ofHart, forming the newBorough of Hartlepool. The club won promotion in1967–68 for the first time, though were relegated out of theThird Division the following season. In 1977, they were renamed again, toHartlepool United. They won another promotion in1990–91, though were relegated in1993–94. They won further promotions out of the fourth tier in2002–03 and2006–07, having been relegated again in2005–06 after losing the2005 League One play-off final toSheffield Wednesday in the previous season. Hartlepool were relegated again in2012–13 and ended their 96-year run in the Football League with relegation into the National League in2016–17. Hartlepool achieved promotion back to the Football League in 2020–21, beatingTorquay United in the2021 National League play-off final. However, Hartlepool returned to the National League after two seasons following relegation in2022–23.
Hartlepool have played home games atVictoria Park throughout their history. Their main rival isDarlington. Between 1924 and 1984, Hartlepool had to apply forre-election on fourteen occasions (a record) in the fourth tier of English football; however, they were not relegated from this level until 2017. The club is also known for being the one whereBrian Clough started his managerial career.Ritchie Humphreys holds the record for most appearances for the club, having made 543 appearances, while their leading scorer is Joshie Fletcher with 111 goals.
Hartlepool United's origins can be traced back to 1881 whenWest Hartlepool Amateur Football Club were founded, later joining as founder members of theDurham FA in 1883.[1] In 1889, West Hartlepool subsequently joined the newNorthern League before winning theFA Amateur Cup in 1905, beatingClapton 3–2.[1][2] Partly as a result of this victory, the opportunity for a professional football team arose in 1908, whenWest Hartlepool Rugby Club went bankrupt, leaving their stadium, theVictoria Ground vacant.[1] The stadium was bought and the current club was founded under the nameThe Hartlepools United Football & Athletic Club Company Ltd on 1 June 1908, representing both the town ofWest Hartlepool and the original settlement ofHartlepool, known locally as "Old Hartlepool".[1]In their first season, they won the major regional trophy, theDurham Challenge Cup and retained it the following year[3] as well as entering theFA Cup, in which they were drawn to play the local amateur club, West Hartlepool, with whom theyshared the Victoria Ground.[4] Hartlepools won 2–1 in the first qualifying round only to go out in the second, beaten bySouth Bank after areplay.[5] They also entered theNorth-Eastern League, finished fourth in their initial season, and remained members of that league until1920–21; their best season was1910–11, when they finished third.[6] In June 1910, the amateur West Hartlepool team folded, with their assets being taken over by Hartlepools.[1] In 1921, theFootball League agreed to form aNorthern Section of the Third Division to complement the existing Third Division which contained only southern-based teams. Hartlepools were among the 18 applicants accepted as members.[7] On 27 August 1921, Hartlepools played their first ever Football League match, defeatingWrexham 2–0.[1][8] In1921–22, Hartlepools finished their first Football League campaign in 4th place.[1]Two seasons later, Hartlepools came 21st in the table, so were obliged to apply forre-election to the League; they and bottom clubBarrow were elected unopposed.[9] In the1935–36 season, the club reached the third round of the FA Cup for the first time. Drawn againstGrimsby Town, they held theFirst Division club to a goalless draw, but lost the replay.[10][6] By the time theSecond World War put a temporary end to competitive football, they had spent 18 consecutive seasons in the Third Division North, courtesy of two more successful applications for re-election.[9][6]
In the mid-1950s, Hartlepools enjoyed improved performances in both league and cup competition. In the FA Cup, they reached the fourth round for the first time in1954–55, losing toNottingham Forest in a replayafter extra time.[6][11] The following season, they lost 1–0 to reigning First Division championsChelsea in the third round. At the same stage of the1956–57 competition, in front of a record Victoria Ground attendance of 17,426,[1] they came back from 3–0 down with top scorerKen Johnson struggling with injury to equalise againstManchester United's "Busby Babes" before the top-flight club scored a late winner.[12][13] Those three league seasons brought top-six finishes, culminating in what remains the club's record high of second place in1956–57, when only the champions,Derby County, werepromoted.[6] They dropped into the bottom six in 1958, which meant they were placed in theFourth Division when the regional sections were merged into nationwide third and fourth tiers.[1] Despite this, in 1959, Hartlepools defeated Barrow 10–1, the current club record victory in a league match.[14] However, Hartlepools did not fare well in the fourth tier. After five consecutive applications for re-election and with the club in financial difficulties, they appointed the 30-year-oldBrian Clough in October 1965 to his first managerial role.[15] He and assistantPeter Taylor, aided by a change of chairmanship, built a team that finished eighth in1966–67. Clough gave his futureEuropean Cup winning captainJohn McGovern his professional debut for Hartlepools aged 16.[16][17] Although Clough and Taylor then left for Derby County,[18] the team maintained their form, finished third, and won promotion for the first time in the club's history in1967–68.[1] To better represent the new borough formed by the recent amalgamation of the adjacent boroughs of Hartlepool and West Hartlepool, the board decided the club would be called Hartlepool Association Football Club instead.[19][20][21]
Hartlepool's foray into theThird Division lasted just one season, finishing 22nd.[6] UnderLen Ashurst (who became manager in 1971), the team slowly began to revive after years of largely indifferent form.[22] After Ashurst departed forGillingham, the club reached the League Cup fourth round in1974–75 for the first and only time underKen Hale, where they lost a replay to eventualwinnersAston Villa.[1][23] However,1976–77 saw a return to the doldrums; Hale was sacked but his successor, Billy Horner, could not improve the team's form, with Hartlepool finishing in 22nd place.[24][25] Again there was a strong challenger from non-League in the form ofWimbledon; however, as the club was seeking re-election for the first time in six years, it wasWorkington – bottom for a second successive year – that made way.[26] Over the close season the team's name was changed to its current form of Hartlepool United.[21][27] In 1977–78, the first season under that name, the team reached the fourth round of theFA Cup again. By the time automatic promotion and relegation between theFootball Conference and the League was introduced in1986–87, Hartlepool had made a record eleven applications for re-election to the Fourth Division, which added to the three in the pre-war Northern Section made fourteen, also a league record, all of which had been successful.[9]
After a poor start to the1989–90 season, the appointment ofCyril Knowles meant Pools achieved a remarkable turnaround.[28] After avoiding relegation, Hartlepool were in play-off contention with the partnership ofPaul Baker andJoe Allon. However, in February 1991, Knowles was diagnosed with brain cancer.[29]Alan Murray was put in temporary charge, where Pools' form would improve further. Joe Allon's 28 goals helped them gain promotion via a third-place finish in1990–91 which was confirmed with a 3–1 win againstNorthampton Town.[30][31] This time their stay lasted three seasons.[32] In1992–93, Hartlepool defeatedCrystal Palace 1–0 in the FA Cup third round – the first time that Hartlepool had beaten a top division side in its history.[33] It was revealed shortly after the cup win that the club were in financial difficulties.[34] To make ends meet, a number of players were released or sold, and the club set an unenviable record by going 1,227 minutes without scoring.[34] The club eventually escaped relegation, finishing 16th but were relegated back to the fourth tier in the following season.[32]
The Hartlepool team that beatTorquay United in the2021 National League play-off final 5–4 on penalties after a 1–1 draw.[35]
In 1997, Harold Hornsey sold the club to IOR Ltd, withKen Hodcroft becoming chairman.[36] After narrowly avoiding relegation to the Conference in 1999, the appointment ofChris Turner turned around the club's fortunes.[37][38] Three consecutive defeats in the semi-finals of the play-offs preceded promotion in2002–03 as runners-up, narrowly missing out on the title toRushden & Diamonds.[38][39] Hartlepool then achieved their highest finishing position since the introduction of the four-division structure, coming sixth in the third tier in both2003–04 and2004–05 underNeale Cooper.[40] In the latter season, they reached theplay-off final but lost out toSheffield Wednesday after extra time.[41] Relegated in 2006, they bounced straight back as runners-up in what was by thenLeague Two.[42] Promotion was confirmed with an away win atWycombe Wanderers but they missed out on the title on the final day toWalsall.[43][44]
They would spend six years in the third tier before being relegated in2012–13.[32][45] They came close to automatic relegation to non-League in2014–15.[46] June 2015 saw a change of ownership, IOR handing over to Essex recruitment firm JPNG, which appointed director Gary Coxall as chairman.[47] But two years later, they were relegated from League Two after 96 years in the Football League.[48] Needing to win their final match of the season and hopeNewport County did not, Hartlepool came from behind to beat title-chasingDoncaster Rovers; however, Newport produced an 89th-minute winner to secure their own safety at Hartlepool's expense.[48] By November 2017, financial legacy issues from JPNG intensified, with the club narrowly avoiding liquidation after being bought by local businessmanRaj Singh in April 2018.[49][50] Hartlepool ultimately finished a turbulent firstseason in non-League in 15th place.[32] After four years, they returned to the Football League via theplay-offs, defeatingTorquay United on penalties in the2021 play-off final.[35] In Hartlepool's first season back in the EFL, they finished 17th and reached theEFL Trophy semi-finals for the first time, losing on penalties toRotherham United.[51][52] However, in2022–23, the club were relegated back to the National League after only two seasons in the fourth tier.[53]
Statistics from the previous decade.[54][40] For a full history see;List of Hartlepool United F.C. seasons
| Year | League | Level | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Position | FA Cup | League Cup | EFL Trophy | FA Trophy | Average attendance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2014–15 | League Two | 4 | 46 | 12 | 9 | 25 | 39 | 70 | −31 | 45 | 22nd of 24 | R2 | R1 | R2(N) | - | 3,736[55] |
| 2015–16 | League Two | 4 | 46 | 15 | 6 | 25 | 49 | 72 | −23 | 51 | 16th of 24 | R3 | R2 | R1(N) | - | 3,890[56] |
| 2016–17 | League Two | 4 | 46 | 11 | 13 | 22 | 54 | 75 | −21 | 46 | 23rd of 24 Relegated | R2 | R1 | Group Stage | - | 3,788[57] |
| 2017–18 | National League | 5 | 46 | 14 | 14 | 18 | 53 | 63 | −10 | 56 | 15th of 24 | R1 | - | - | R1 | 3,350[58] |
| 2018–19 | National League | 5 | 46 | 15 | 14 | 17 | 56 | 62 | −6 | 59 | 16th of 24 | R1 | - | - | R2 | 3,124[59] |
| 2019–20 | National League | 5 | 39 | 14 | 13 | 12 | 56 | 50 | +6 | 55 | 12th of 24[a] | R3 | - | - | R1 | 3,355[63] |
| 2020–21 | National League | 5 | 42 | 22 | 10 | 10 | 66 | 43 | +23 | 76 | 4th of 22 Promoted[b] | R1 | - | - | R3 | N/A[c] |
| 2021–22 | League Two | 4 | 46 | 14 | 12 | 20 | 44 | 64 | −20 | 54 | 17th of 24 | R4 | R1 | SF | - | 5,195[68] |
| 2022–23 | League Two | 4 | 46 | 9 | 16 | 21 | 52 | 78 | −26 | 43 | 23rd of 24 Relegated | R3 | R1 | GS | - | 4,676[69] |
| 2023–24 | National League | 5 | 46 | 17 | 9 | 20 | 70 | 82 | −12 | 60 | 12th of 24 | QR4 | - | - | R4 | 4,149[70] |
| 2024–25 | National League | 5 | 46 | 14 | 18 | 14 | 59 | 62 | −3 | 60 | 11th of 24 | QR4 | - | - | R3 | 3,579[71] |
Hartlepool have primarily played in blue and white vertical stripes throughout their history.[72] From 1908 until 1911, Hartlepools initially wore white shirts with blue and white socks.[72] In 1912, Hartlepools then adopted the blue and white stripes.[72] From the mid-1960s to mid 1970s, the club's strip was often solely blue.[72] In the 1990s, Hartlepool often played in light blue with white before returning to dark blue with white towards the end of the decade.[72]
The first time that a crest appeared on the kit was in 1959, the crest was a shield with the club's initials.[72] However, this would not last long as a crest would not appear on the kits again until the 1970s.[72] From 1974, Hartlepool wore a variety of badges featuring ahart, taken from the logo of the newly enlarged town. In the early 1990s, a modern and abstract image of the hart was used.[72] In 1995, the new ownership under local businessman Harold Hornsey ran a competition for a new logo. The winning design featured aship's wheel, reflecting the maritime identity of the town.[72] The club reverted to a design with a hart in 2017, standing on water as aheraldic pun onHart-le-pool.[72] The club said that the 1995 logo did not reflect the club's history, and that the ship's wheel was difficult to replicate in digital and printed media.[73]
Meyba currently manufactures the club's apparel.[74] The current home and away shirt sponsor are Prestige Group.
Table of kit suppliers and shirt sponsors appear below:[72]
| Period | Kit manufacturer | Shirt sponsor |
|---|---|---|
| 1975–77 | Umbro | none |
| 1977–78 | Bukta | |
| 1978–80 | Admiral | |
| 1980–81 | Le Coq Sportif | |
| 1981–82 | Umbro | |
| 1982–83 | Spall | |
| 1983–84 | Admiral | New County |
| 1984–85 | Umbro | Cameron's Brewery |
| 1985–88 | Spall | |
| 1988–90 | Scoreline | |
| 1990–91 | none | Yuill |
| 1991–92 | Bukta | Heritage Homes |
| 1992–93 | Umbro | |
| 1993–95 | Loki | Cameron's Brewery |
| 1995–99 | 1908 Gold | |
| 1999–2000 | Super League | |
| 2000–02 | 1908 Gold | DNO International |
| 2002–04 | TFG Sports | |
| 2004–15 | Nike | Dove Energy |
| 2015–17 | Seneca Homes | |
| 2017–19 | BLK | Utility Alliance |
| 2019–20 | O'Neill's | |
| 2020–21 | Prestige Group | |
| 2021–22 | Orangebox Training Solutions | |
| 2022–23 | Erreà | Suit Direct |
| 2023–24 | Prestige Group | |
| 2024–25 | Workwear Express | |
| 2025– | Meyba | Prestige Group |
The home of Hartlepool United has beenVictoria Park since the club's formation in 1908.[75] The ground is currently under the ownership ofHartlepool Borough Council.[76] The capacity of the ground is 7,856. The four stands of the ground are the Brunel Group Stand/Town End (1,599 capacity), theTeesside Airport Neale Cooper Stand (1,617 seated and 1,832 standing), the Rink End/Simpson Millar Stand - which is used for away supporters (1,003 capacity) and the Longbranch Homes Cyril Knowles Stand (1,775 capacity).[77]
West Hartlepool Rugby Club bought the Victoria Park land from theNorth Eastern Railway Company in 1886 which was by then allotments.[1] The land had once been a limestone quarry.[1] The ground was named in celebration ofQueen Victoria's Diamond Jubilee.[1] The club's first fixture at the Victoria Ground was on 2 September 1908, a 6–0 win against aNewcastle United team.[1] Hartlepools initially shared the ground withWest Hartlepool before they were dissolved in 1910, with their assets being taken over by Hartlepools.[1] In 1916, the stand on Clarence Road (the current location of the Cyril Knowles Stand) was bombed by a GermanZeppelin and was completely destroyed. The club attempted to claim compensation from theGerman government but failed.[78] A temporary stand was introduced and was used until the Cyril Knowles Stand was completed in 1995 in memory of former managerCyril Knowles who had died in 1991.[79] In June 1948, new terracing was added to the Victoria Ground.[1]
Under Harold Hornsey's ownership, a new covered terrace was built, with the ground renamed as Victoria Park.[1] In September 1998, West Hartlepool Rugby Club started a ground share which lasted for a year.[1] By September 2010, owners IOR claimed to have invested over £12 million in the ground during their tenure.[76] Following the death of former managerNeale Cooper in 2018, the Cameron's Brewery Stand was renamed in his memory.[80] In June 2021, ownerRaj Singh and Hartlepool Borough Council signed a memorandum of understanding to begin a long-term project of development of Victoria Park and the nearby area.[81] Singh claimed that Victoria Park's capacity could be extended to 15,000 as part of the project.[81]
Due to sponsorship reasons, the ground was formerly named as the Northern Gas and Power Stadium (2016–17) and the Super 6 Stadium (2018–19).[82][83] On 12 November 2021, it was announced that the stadium would be named the 'Suit Direct Stadium' after a three-year partnership was signed with the menswear high street retailer Suit Direct.[84] The stadium was named as the 'Prestige Group Stadium' for the 2024–25 season.[85]
The comic stripAndy Capp, which was created by Hartlepool nativeReg Smythe, has referred specifically to the team and the Cyril Knowles stand.[86]
According to local folklore, the term monkey hanger originates from a likely apocryphal incident in which amonkey washanged in Hartlepool during theNapoleonic Wars.[87] According to the legend, a Frenchchasse-marée was wrecked in a storm off the coast of Hartlepool. The only survivor from the ship was a monkey, allegedly dressed in aFrench Army uniform to provide amusement for the crew.[88] On finding the monkey on the beach, a group of locals decided to hold animpromptu trial.[87] Because the monkey was unable to answer their questions, and because they had seen neither a monkey nor a Frenchman before, they concluded that the monkey must be a Frenchspy.[87][89] Being found guilty, the animal was duly sentenced to death and summarily hanged on the beach.[87]
The people of Hartlepool therefore gained the nickname of monkey hangers which has subsequently been adopted by the football club.[87][88] In 1999, the club's mascotH'Angus the Monkey was introduced.[87][88]
In the2002 council election, the team's mascot "H'Angus the Monkey", akaStuart Drummond, was elected mayor ofHartlepool[90] as an independent, under the slogan "free bananas for schoolchildren". Even though his candidacy was originally a publicity stunt, Drummond was re-elected after resigning as mascot and identifying himself increasingly with theLabour group on the council. On 5 May 2013, Drummond left his post of Hartlepool's mayor after a November 2012 referendum abolished the position, with the council instead being led by committees.[91]
In 2003, market research companyFFC surveyed fans of every Football League club across the country to find who they consider their main rivals to be. Hartlepool United fans choseDarlington as their main rivals. Additionally, in 2008, 95% of both clubs named each other as their biggest rivals.[92] Between the two clubs, Hartlepool have won 60 games, compared to Darlington's 57 games in the rivalry.[92] However, the two clubs haven't met since 2007 in a League meeting due to Darlington's financial issues and subsequent relegations.[93][94] Hartlepool's other rivals according to the 2003 report include:Sheffield Wednesday,Carlisle United,Rushden & Diamonds (now extinct) andSunderland respectively.[95]
In 2015, a Hartlepool United's Supporters Trust was founded with the intention of "articulating the views of Hartlepool United supporters, lobby the club and provide the basis for some element of fan involvement and influence with the football club."[96]
In recent years the most visible fan of the club has beenJeff Stelling, the former presenter ofSoccer Saturday onSky Sports. Stelling is currently Club President (2018–) and formerly Honorary President of the Hartlepool United Supporters' Trust (2017–2018).[97]Janick Gers, of the metal bandIron Maiden, is a season ticket holder in theNeale Cooper Stand.[98] Cricket umpireMichael Gough is also a fan of the club and in January 2021 was appointed Honorary President of the Hartlepool United Supporters' Trust.[99]
In 2003, rock starMeat Loaf said onSoccer AM he was a fan of Hartlepool. OnSo Graham Norton later in the same year, he spoke about his support for the club and brought a cuddlyH'Angus toy on the show.[100] It was reported in the media that he was looking to purchase a house in the town.[101][102] Speaking toSetanta Sports News in 2008, he commented on Hartlepool's recent victory but said that while amusing, the story about him looking to buy a house in the town was not true.[103][104] In an interview withTalksport in 2010, Meat Loaf confirmed he still followed Hartlepool's results.[105] Following his death in January 2022, the club paid tribute to Meat Loaf.[106]
The record for most appearances for Hartlepool is held byRitchie Humphreys, who played 543 matches in all competitions between 2001 and 2013.[107] Joshie Fletcher is the club's top goalscorer with 111 goals in all competitions.[108] The first player to be capped at international level while playing for Hartlepool wasAmbrose Fogarty, when he played for theRepublic of Ireland againstSpain in 1964.[109]
Hartlepool's largest league victory was a 10–1 win overBarrow in theFourth Division in 1959, while the heaviest loss was 10–1 toWrexham in 1962 also in the Fourth Division.[110][111] Their widest winning margin in theFA Cup was a 10–1 win against St Peters Albion in 1923.[112] Hartlepool's record defeat in the FA Cup was by 6–0 againstManchester City in 1976 andPort Vale in 1994.[111]
The club'shighest attendance atVictoria Park was 17,264 againstManchester United in 1957.[113] The lowest attendance was 380 in theEFL Trophy againstRochdale in 2016.[114] The record attendance of any Hartlepool game was 59,808 at theMillennium Stadium,Cardiff for the2005 Football League One play-off final.[115] Hartlepool's highest average attendance during a league season was 9,248 during the1951–52 season.[54]
The youngest player to play for the club isDavid Foley, who was 16 years and 44 days on his debut againstPort Vale in theFootball League Second Division on 25 August 2003.[116] The oldest player isDimitrios Konstantopoulos, who played his last match aged 41 years and 15 days againstHarrogate Town in theFA Trophy on 14 December 2019.[117]
As of the end of the 2024–25 season[54][6][118][40]
| Rank | Player | Apps | Goals | Position | Career |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ritchie Humphreys | 543 | 37 | DF, MF | 2001–2013 |
| 2 | Watty Moore | 472 | 3 | DF | 1948–1960 |
| 3 | Nicky Featherstone | 463 | 28 | MF | 2014–2023, 2023– |
| 4 | Antony Sweeney | 444 | 62 | MF | 2001–2014 |
| 5 | Ray Thompson | 423 | 3 | DF | 1947–1958 |
| 6 | Alan Goad | 418 | 11 | DF | 1967–1978 |
| 7 | Ken Johnson | 413 | 106 | FW | 1949–1964 |
| 8 | Brian Honour | 384 | 36 | MF | 1985–1994 |
| 9 | Micky Barron | 374 | 4 | DF | 1996–2007 |
| 10 | Gary Liddle | 364 | 21 | DF, MF | 2006–2012, 2019–2020, 2020–2022 |
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined underFIFA eligibility rules; some limited exceptions apply. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
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Note: Flags indicate national team as defined underFIFA eligibility rules; some limited exceptions apply. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
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Note: Flags indicate national team as defined underFIFA eligibility rules; some limited exceptions apply. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
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On 19 October 2007, Hartlepool's midfielderMichael Maidens died in a road traffic accident aged 20 years old.[124] In honour of Maidens, the club retired his number 25 shirt.[125] Furthermore, the annual Goal of the Season award was named after Maidens, who won the award himself in2005–06 for his long-range strike againstHuddersfield Town.[126] Annually, the club's supporters applaud in the 25th minute of the game closest to the anniversary of his death.[126]
For all players with a Wikipedia article seeHartlepool United F.C. players
In 2015, a Hartlepool United Ladies team was launched.[127] They will participate in theNorth East Regional Women's Football League Division One North in the 2024–25 season following relegation in the previous season and are managed by Gareth Horwood.[128]
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